Easy Vietnamese Peanut Sauce Recipe with Coconut Milk

This homemade Vietnamese Peanut Sauce recipe brings the flavors of Southeast Asia right to your kitchen. Made with just 8 simple ingredients, this satay sauce has a delicious blend of flavors that you’ll love on noodles, spring rolls, or grilled meat or vegetables. 

What you’ll love about this recipe:

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• Make it ahead. This peanut sauce keeps well for up to a week, so it’s ready for all of your dipping and drizzling needs.
• Perfect dipping sauce. Whether it’s satay skewers, fresh vegetables, or crispy spring rolls, this sauce makes even the simplest dishes incredibly delicious!
• Super speedy. This recipe only takes about 5 minutes to prepare; it only needs to cook long enough for the peanut butter to melt. You can even make it in the microwave! 

Forget Takeout! Make the Ultimate Peanut Sauce at Home

If you’ve ever had a really good, savory peanut sauce, you’ll know it’s something special. 

For me, it’s never been just a condiment. It’s a star in its own right, worthy of standing alone—even dictating the main course at times. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been tempted to order chicken satay at Thai and Vietnamese restaurants just for a taste of that mouthwatering sauce. 

I tried for years to make my own peanut sauce at home but, like  most culinary experiments, my initial batches were far from perfect. They were either overly sweet or too thick, missing the delicate balance of the those authentic restaurant versions. 

A few years ago I stumbled upon this recipe when I was participating in a food blogging event called The Daring Cooks, where a group of bloggers would all make the same recipe at the same time. I’ve long forgotten the original source of this one, but it’s been a staple in my kitchen ever since. It’s by far my favorite peanut sauce recipe. 

A prinkle of cardamon and a splash of lemon juice are what take this recipe over the top nad make it so much better than any others I’ve tried. The cardamom adds a subtly spiced floral flavor, which lemon juice adds the perfect pop of acidity. It’s funny how something as simple as chaning a few ingredients can change the dynamics of a dish. This sauce is smooth and light, but supremely savory with a hint of zing.

Whether you serve it over rice noodles, with Vietnamese summer rolls, or even with just thin slices of cucumber, this peanut sauce will be one of the best things to come out of your kitchen. 

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Canned Coconut Milk: You can use either Regular or lite coconut milk for this recipe, but note that full fat mill will result in a thicker sauce (you can think it with water to your desired consistency at the end.) 

Peanut Butter: I like to use creamy peanut butter for the perfect velvety texture texture. If you only have crunchy peanut butter in your pantry, that’s ok too but the sauce will have more texture. 

Lemon Juice: This acidic element brightens the sauce. I like to use fresh lemon (I always keep some in the freezer) but bottled lemon juice works here as well. You can substitute lime juice if you prefer. 

Hoisin Sauce: The key to bringing that rich, umami flavor to this recipe! If you don’t have any on hand you can substitute soy sauce and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Cumin: Provides a warm, slightly spiced element.

Coriander: The secret ingredient that gives this dipping sauce a slightly floral, citrusy flavor.

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: If you like a little heat (I’m obsessed with the extra hot red pepper flakes from Penzey’s!) You could also add a little sriracha sauce or sambal oelek if you prefer a spicy peanut sauce. 

Commonly asked questions

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